Imam Zaid Shakir “Radicalism is the realization of marginalization” By Wajahat Ali,

	Taqwa star

Imam Zaid Shakir, an African American convert to Islam and one of America's most influential and popular Muslim scholars, commands a rock star following - legions of enthralled and inspired Muslims filling rooms to standing only capacity waiting to hear his words. It represents a fascinating and dynamic phenomenon illuminating the resurgent identity of an educated, spiritual, religious and political Muslim American identity emerging from the post 9-11 era. Shakir, a student of the civil rights era and an educated scholar of political science and traditional Islamic jurisprudence, casually interjects tidbits of political theory, economic reform, critical race theory, Arabic, traditional Islamic philosophy and religious didacticism within his rhetoric. altmuslim's Wajahat Ali spoke to the highly sought scholar, referred to by his students as a "new Malcolm X" for Muslim Americans, for a discussion on the "Clash of Civilizations," the 2008 presidency, religious extremism, and an emerging Muslim American identity.